Huskers Amped for 2013-14 Intrasquad Opener

The Nebraska swimming and diving team kicks off the 2013-14 season on Thursday, Sep. 26, with the annual Scarlet and Cream Intrasquad dual. The meet will take place at 4 p.m. at the Devaney Natatorium.

Four swimmers will make their Husker debuts on Thursday, including Alexandra Bilunas, a junior transfer from the Naval Academy. The squad will also welcome freshmen Anna Filipcic, Erin Oeltjen and Julia Roller.

Conversely, the intrasquad meet will also mark the beginning of the fourth and final season for eight Nebraska seniors. Morgan Flannigan, Ashleigh Grammar, Shannon Guy, Payton Michaud, Bailey Pons, Kristin Strecker, Kaitlan Walker and Megan Ziemann have combined for 264 top-five finishes and 87 victories in their first three seasons of competition with the squad.

The Huskers are entering Head Coach Pablo Morales' 13th season with the squad. Under his direction, Nebraska has a 67-40 dual meet record, including the school record-setting 12-win season a year ago.

The 2012-13 squad set eight school records at the 2013 Big Ten Championships, including individual records set by current Huskers Shannon Guy (100-yard butterfly) and Taryn Collura (50-yard freestyle). In addition, Guy and Collura contributed to school-record times set by the 200 free, 400 free, and 200 medley relay teams, with Guy also helping the 400 medley team to a school record.

The 2013-14 Swimming and Diving Schedule

Following Thursday's intrasquad meet, the squad will return to the pool for its other annual event, the Alumni Meet, held Oct. 5 at the Devaney Natatorium.

The Huskers begin regular season action with a home dual against former conference foe Iowa State on Oct. 12. The squad will then travel to Fayetteville, Ark., on Oct. 26 to face Arkansas. The Huskers hold a 6-4 all-time series lead over the Razorbacks.

November will see Nebraska compete in three different meets involving more than two schools. First, the Huskers will play host to Iowa and South Dakota State on Nov. 15 at the Devaney Natatorium. Then, Nov. 21-23, the Nebraska divers will head to Columbia, Mo., to compete in the Mizzou Invitational.

The same weekend, Nov. 22-24, the Husker swimmers will travel to Topeka, Kan., to compete in their second consecutive Kansas Classic. The squad took third place at the 2012-13 meet, finishing behind Notre Dame and Kansas.

Nebraska will begin December with a trip to Iowa City, Iowa, for the Hawkeye Invitational held Dec. 6-8. The squad will then close out its fall competition schedule with dual meets at Northern Iowa and Nebraska-Omaha on Dec. 13 and 14, respectively.

After January’s annual holiday training, the Huskers will return to action for their final home meet of the season against Big Ten foe Illinois on Jan. 25. Nebraska won last season’s dual by an impressive score of 194-106.

The Huskers will conclude regular-season competition with Big Ten duals against Ohio State and Michigan on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 in Columbus, Ohio. The matchup with the Buckeyes will mark the first time the two schools have ever faced each other in the pool.

After almost three weeks off from competition, Nebraska will travel to the 2014 Big Ten Championships in Minneapolis, Minn., Feb. 19-22. The squad will be looking to repeat the magic of last season’s eight school records set at the meet.

Following the Big Ten Championships, the squad will compete in Minneapolis, Minn., three more times in the month of March. First, the Huskers will participate in March 2’s Last Chance Meet. Then, March 10-12, the divers will take part in the NCAA Zone Diving Meet. Finally, qualifiers for the 2014 NCAA Championships will head to Minnesota’s University Aquatic Center for the season finale held March 20-22.